Who were the Greeks?
They were a nation and an ethic group of people who settled in Greece and the areas around the Aegean Sea. They are known for their ancient mythology. Ancient Greek Colonies traveled through the Mediterranean, including Southern Italy, Barcelona and Marseilles.
Question #2
How did the Greeks think the universe started?
There is many accounts of how the universe started in Greek mythology, but the most common belief is that the universe was created when Gaea, Mother Earth, fell in love with Uranus, the sky, and their children were the first beings to walk on the Earth.
Question #3
Who were the Greek gods?
There were very many Greek gods; however, there are twelve main gods, sometimes called the Supreme Twelve, who were Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Poseidon, and Zeus.
Question #4
How did Greek mythology start?
Greek mythology started as how the Greeks thought how the universe came to be. They made up stories of gods and legends to explain why everything is as it is now. For example, they thought the spider was made because Athena, the goddess of wisdom became angered when a skilled mortal tapestry maker boasted when she said she was a better tapestry spinner than Athena herself! The girl, named Arachne, wound a great tapestry mocking the gods, so Athena angrily turned her into the first spider, letting her spin glorious webs draped over buildings. A more famous example is Persephone, The Queen of the Underworld. She was captured by Hades to be his bride. Demeter, her mother, Goddess of Harvest, became angered and beckoned Zeus to bring Persephone back, but since Persephone ate the fruit of the dead, she had to stay for a quarter of a year. So when Persephone was away in Hades, Demeter's sorrow made Earth's crops wither away and brought cold days to the once sunny world. But when Persephone returned, the Goddess of Harvest was so overjoyed the Earth began to sprout. This is how the Greeks thought winter and spring happened. When Persephone is away, the Earth went into winter. But when Persephone was back, the Earth went into winter. This cycle supposedly happens every year.
Question #5
What was the lifestyle of the gods/goddesses?
The life style of the gods were very rich. Living above Mount Olympus, their glorious palace was hidden beneath the clouds. Light never failed in the gleaming hall of the palace, where the Supreme Twelve (question #3) sat on their golden thrones, Zeus on the highest, on his right his queen/sister, Hera, then her son, Ares (God of War), Hephaestus (God of Fire), then Aphrodite (Goddess of Beauty and Love). After that came Hermes (God of all who Use Their Wits) and then Demeter, (Goddess of the Underworld). On the left of Zeus was his brother Poseidon (Lord of the Sea), next to him sat Zeus's four children; Athena (Goddess of Wisdom), the twins Apollo (God of Light and Music) and Artemis (Goddess of the Hunt) and then Dionysus (God of Wine). Hestia (Goddess of the Hearth) was the eldest sister of Zeus; she had no throne, for she tended the sacred fire in the Supreme Hall, and every hearth on Earth was her altar. Hades, the oldest brother of Zeus, did not live in Olympus. He preferred to live in his palace in the Underworld. The gods themselves could not die because of the divine ichor that flowed through their veins instead of blood. Most of the time they lived joyfully together, drinking sweet scented ambrosia and nectar, but when their wills differed, there was violent arguing, until Zeus threatened to strike them with a thunderbolt.
Question #6 How do people honor the gods?
The ancient Greeks honored the gods in many different ways, and some ways focused on certain gods. This could include sacrifice, or some other thing they did that they thought would please the god(s) or goddess(es). One way they honored the gods was with the Olympics (Question #8), in which they honored both Zeus and Pelops.
A vase worshiping the Goddess Athena
Question #7
a map of Greece
What is the geography of Greece?
Greece is a very mountainous country with 4/5 of it being either mountains or hills. It has the tenth longest coastline in the world at 14,880 kilometers, bordering the Sea of Crete, and the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean Seas. There is a lot of islands in Greece, many of which are tiny underwater mountain peaks poking out of the seas. Mount Olympus, an important part in Greek mythology, can also be found in central Greece. Western Greece has a number of wetlands and lakes is covered by the Pindus mountain range.
Question #8
What does the Olympics have to do with the gods?
The Olympics began in 776 B.C. in Olympia, Greece. There were many myths about how the Olympics started, but the most popular is that Hercules built the Olympic stadium and created the Olympic games to honor his father; Zeus. There were many contests and events to honor both Zeus and Pelops, both Greek gods. As the Greek religion collapsed, the games eventually became outdated. Then, in the 17th century, an "Olympik" Games was run at Chipping Campden in England. This eventually came to the revival of the games, leading to the modern Olympic games. At the right there is the symbol of the modern Olympic games.
the famed Olympic Rings
Question #9
What was the daily life of the ancient Greeks?
The answer can vary depending on if you were a man or a woman, and in which city-state you lived. However, in most Greek city-states, if not all, men ran the government, spending much of their time away from home, while the women spent most of their time at home, and was supposed to take care of the house and the household. If not being involved in politics, Greek men were doing many other jobs, such as trading, hunting, and working the crops.
Question #10
What were some of the talents of the Greeks?
There were many talents of the ancient Greeks, and different people had different talents. For example, music might be considered a talent for the Greek musicians, and the Olympics might be considered a talent for some Greek athletes. Homer, a Greek citizen, had a talent for writing and wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey, two very famous books. As you can see, there are many talents of the ancient Greeks.
Peter Mackridge, Eleni Yannakakis, eds., Ourselves and Others : The Development of a Greek Macedonian Cultural Identity since 1912, 1997. ISBN 1-85973-133-3.
Peter Bien, "Inventing Greece", Journal of Modern Greek Studies 23:2 (October 2005), pp. 217-234.
Michael Herzfeld, Ours Once More: Folklore, Ideology, and the making of Modern Greece, 1982. ISBN 0292760183
Victor Roudometof, "From Rum Millet to Greek Nation: Enlightenment, Secularization, and National Identity in Ottoman Balkan Society, 1453-1821", Journal of Modern Greek Studies 16:1 (May 1998), pp. 11-48.
Stephen Xydis, "Medieval Origins of Modern Greek Nationalism", Balkan Studies, Vol. 9 (1968), 1-20.
Terry Deary, Martin Brown, "Groovy Greeks", 1996. ISBN 0-590-13247-4
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Table of Contents
ANCIENT GREEK MYTHOLOGY
The Gods Of Ancient Greek Mythology
The Goddesses Of Ancient Greek Mythology
Question #1
Who were the Greeks?They were a nation and an ethic group of people who settled in Greece and the areas around the Aegean Sea. They are known for their ancient mythology. Ancient Greek Colonies traveled through the Mediterranean, including Southern Italy, Barcelona and Marseilles.
Question #2
How did the Greeks think the universe started?There is many accounts of how the universe started in Greek mythology, but the most common belief is that the universe was created when Gaea, Mother Earth, fell in love with Uranus, the sky, and their children were the first beings to walk on the Earth.
Question #3
Who were the Greek gods?There were very many Greek gods; however, there are twelve main gods, sometimes called the Supreme Twelve, who were Aphrodite, Apollo, Ares, Artemis, Athena, Demeter, Dionysus, Hephaestus, Hera, Hermes, Poseidon, and Zeus.
Question #4
How did Greek mythology start?Greek mythology started as how the Greeks thought how the universe came to be. They made up stories of gods and legends to explain why everything is as it is now. For example, they thought the spider was made because Athena, the goddess of wisdom became angered when a skilled mortal tapestry maker boasted when she said she was a better tapestry spinner than Athena herself! The girl, named Arachne, wound a great tapestry mocking the gods, so Athena angrily turned her into the first spider, letting her spin glorious webs draped over buildings. A more famous example is Persephone, The Queen of the Underworld. She was captured by Hades to be his bride. Demeter, her mother, Goddess of Harvest, became angered and beckoned Zeus to bring Persephone back, but since Persephone ate the fruit of the dead, she had to stay for a quarter of a year. So when Persephone was away in Hades, Demeter's sorrow made Earth's crops wither away and brought cold days to the once sunny world. But when Persephone returned, the Goddess of Harvest was so overjoyed the Earth began to sprout. This is how the Greeks thought winter and spring happened. When Persephone is away, the Earth went into winter. But when Persephone was back, the Earth went into winter. This cycle supposedly happens every year.
Question #5
What was the lifestyle of the gods/goddesses?The life style of the gods were very rich. Living above Mount Olympus, their glorious palace was hidden beneath the clouds. Light never failed in the gleaming hall of the palace, where the Supreme Twelve (question #3) sat on their golden thrones, Zeus on the highest, on his right his queen/sister, Hera, then her son, Ares (God of War), Hephaestus (God of Fire), then Aphrodite (Goddess of Beauty and Love). After that came Hermes (God of all who Use Their Wits) and then Demeter, (Goddess of the Underworld). On the left of Zeus was his brother Poseidon (Lord of the Sea), next to him sat Zeus's four children; Athena (Goddess of Wisdom), the twins Apollo (God of Light and Music) and Artemis (Goddess of the Hunt) and then Dionysus (God of Wine). Hestia (Goddess of the Hearth) was the eldest sister of Zeus; she had no throne, for she tended the sacred fire in the Supreme Hall, and every hearth on Earth was her altar. Hades, the oldest brother of Zeus, did not live in Olympus. He preferred to live in his palace in the Underworld. The gods themselves could not die because of the divine ichor that flowed through their veins instead of blood. Most of the time they lived joyfully together, drinking sweet scented ambrosia and nectar, but when their wills differed, there was violent arguing, until Zeus threatened to strike them with a thunderbolt.
Question #6
How do people honor the gods?
The ancient Greeks honored the gods in many different ways, and some ways focused on certain gods. This could include sacrifice, or some other thing they did that they thought would please the god(s) or goddess(es). One way they honored the gods was with the Olympics (Question #8), in which they honored both Zeus and Pelops.
Question #7
Greece is a very mountainous country with 4/5 of it being either mountains or hills. It has the tenth longest coastline in the world at 14,880 kilometers, bordering the Sea of Crete, and the Aegean, Ionian, and Mediterranean Seas. There is a lot of islands in Greece, many of which are tiny underwater mountain peaks poking out of the seas. Mount Olympus, an important part in Greek mythology, can also be found in central Greece. Western Greece has a number of wetlands and lakes is covered by the Pindus mountain range.
Question #8
What does the Olympics have to do with the gods?The Olympics began in 776 B.C. in Olympia, Greece. There were many myths about how the Olympics started, but the most popular is that Hercules built the Olympic stadium and created the Olympic games to honor his father; Zeus. There were many contests and events to honor both Zeus and Pelops, both Greek gods. As the Greek religion collapsed, the games eventually became outdated. Then, in the 17th century, an "Olympik" Games was run at Chipping Campden in England. This eventually came to the revival of the games, leading to the modern Olympic games. At the right there is the symbol of the modern Olympic games.
Question #9
What was the daily life of the ancient Greeks?The answer can vary depending on if you were a man or a woman, and in which city-state you lived. However, in most Greek city-states, if not all, men ran the government, spending much of their time away from home, while the women spent most of their time at home, and was supposed to take care of the house and the household. If not being involved in politics, Greek men were doing many other jobs, such as trading, hunting, and working the crops.
Question #10
What were some of the talents of the Greeks?There were many talents of the ancient Greeks, and different people had different talents. For example, music might be considered a talent for the Greek musicians, and the Olympics might be considered a talent for some Greek athletes. Homer, a Greek citizen, had a talent for writing and wrote the Iliad and the Odyssey, two very famous books. As you can see, there are many talents of the ancient Greeks.
Bibliography
Web Sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek- Peter Mackridge, Eleni Yannakakis, eds., Ourselves and Others : The Development of a Greek Macedonian Cultural Identity since 1912, 1997. ISBN 1-85973-133-3.
- Peter Bien, "Inventing Greece", Journal of Modern Greek Studies 23:2 (October 2005), pp. 217-234.
- Michael Herzfeld, Ours Once More: Folklore, Ideology, and the making of Modern Greece, 1982. ISBN 0292760183
- Victor Roudometof, "From Rum Millet to Greek Nation: Enlightenment, Secularization, and National Identity in Ottoman Balkan Society, 1453-1821", Journal of Modern Greek Studies 16:1 (May 1998), pp. 11-48.
- Stephen Xydis, "Medieval Origins of Modern Greek Nationalism", Balkan Studies, Vol. 9 (1968), 1-20.
- Terry Deary, Martin Brown, "Groovy Greeks", 1996. ISBN 0-590-13247-4
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greek_mythology- ^ "Argonaut". Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2002).
> * P. Grimmal, The Dictionary of Classical Mythology, 58- ^ "Argonaut". Encyclopaedia Britannica. (2002).
- ^ P. Grimmal, The Dictionary of Classical Mythology, 58
^ Y. Bonnefoy, Greek and Egyptian Mythologieshttp://mythweb.com/
http://www.ancientgreece.com/html/geography_frame.htm
Books:
D'aulaire, Ingri and Edgar D'aulaire. Ingri and Edgar Parin D'aulaire's Book of Greek Myths. Garden City: Doubleday, 1962.Images:
http://en.beijing2008.cn/spirit/beijing2008/graphic/n214068255.shtmlhttp://www.travelswise.com/mapgreece.htm
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/siias/images2/grkrferos.jpg&imgrefurl=
http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/siias/greek.html&h=494&w=482&sz=88&hl=en&start=2&tbnid=pd
4u19qwULkAAM:&tbnh=130&tbnw=127&prev=/images%3Fq%3DGreek%2Bgods%2Bvase%26gbv%3D2%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den
http://ares1983.proboards36.com/index.cgi?action=forgotpassword
Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjRyFo6Q53Yhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxynGjncprE